The improper and odd role of an inside lawyer referred to in Social Network

The excellent movie about Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Social Network, has a couple of fleeting references to a corporate lawyer. The “rowing twins” who eventually sued Zuckerberg call their wealthy father’s in-house lawyer for legal advice when they believe Zuckerberg has stolen their idea. Later, Zuckerberg and Eduard Severin, his sort-of CFO, discuss a cease-and-desist letter that same lawyer apparently sent Zuckerberg.

I previously wrote about Tilden Swinton as the ethically-challenged GC in Michael Clayton (See my post of Nov. 10, 2007: the movie, “Michael Clayton.”). This most recent depiction of an in-house lawyer fares no better because the lawyer clearly has assisted the sons of the President, which is not in the position description of such a lawyer.